Georgia Students Earn 72 Medals at SkillsUSA National Competition
Georgia Students Earn 72 Medals at SkillsUSA National Competition
Gwinnett Technical College and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Win 13 Medals among Recognitions
LOUISVILLE, KY.—Georgia
placed second in the U.S. for the number of medals awarded at the SkillsUSA
national competition in Louisville, Ky. Georgia middle school, high school, and
technical college students who progressed to the 2019 SkillsUSA National
Conference, after winning at the state-level competition, brought home a
combined total of 72 medals.
“Every year, Georgia’s technical college students get the
opportunity to demonstrate their skills to a national audience at the SkillsUSA
National Competition,” said Matt Arthur, Commissioner of the Technical College
System of Georgia. “We are extremely proud of our students for their
achievements as they represent the skilled workforce we develop every day for
Georgia’s businesses and industries.”
The top three TCSG college winners were Gwinnett
Technical College and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College with 13 medals each,
followed by Ogeechee Technical College with seven medals. The Dr. John Scott
Award for highest scoring individual competitor in Georgia Postsecondary went to
Foster Lester from Atlanta Technical College in the Job Interview contest. The
Curtiss Bell Award for highest scoring team competitors in Georgia
Postsecondary went to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies team—Abigale Baluta,
Juan Islas, Ashley Palomino, Justin Perez, Jacqueline Sisley, Madison Thorpe,
and Mikael Yoftahe—from Gwinnett Technical College.
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College was also named one of
the 24 Model of Excellence chapters nationwide, for the second year in a row.
The SkillsUSA National Model of Excellence program recognizes the exceptional
integration and application of personal, workplace, and technical skills for
SkillsUSA chapter activities. Specifically, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
was selected as one of eight chapters to represent personal skills and
participated in several activities during the national conference to recognize
their work, including a special recognition dinner with the U.S. Deputy
Secretary of Education Mick Zais and Cierra Mitchell from the U.S. Department
of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship.
About the Technical College System of Georgia
The 22 colleges of the Technical College
System of Georgia (TCSG) are Georgia’s top resource for skilled workers. TCSG
offers world-class training in more than 600 associate degree, diploma and
certificate programs to students who are trained on state-of-the-art equipment
by instructors who are experts in their fields. The system also houses
Georgia’s Office of Adult Education, which promotes and provides adult literacy
and education programs, including the GED® testing program, throughout the
state. In addition, TCSG partners with companies through Quick Start, the
nation’s top customized workforce training program, and through its individual
colleges, who work with local industry to provide workforce and training
solutions. For more information, visit www.TCSG.edu.
About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a vital solution to the growing
U.S. skills gap. This nonprofit partnership of students, instructors and
industry ensures America has the skilled workforce it needs to stay
competitive. Founded in 1965 and endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education,
the association serves more than 360,000 member students and instructors each
year in middle schools, high schools and colleges. This diverse talent pipeline
covers 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, the majority
STEM-related. More than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses and
labor unions actively support SkillsUSA at the national level. SkillsUSA
programs are integrated into career and technical education through a framework
of personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. Local, state
and national championships designed and judged by industry, set relevant
standards for career and technical education and provide needed recognition to
its students. SkillsUSA also offers technical skill assessments and other
workplace credentials. For more information, go to: www.SkillsUSA.org.
CONTACT:
Mark
D’Alessio
404-679-1617